Umpires also have to put in extra effort
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LIKE elite players, umpires have to put in the hard yards to reach the pinnacle of their sport.

After being appointed to officiate at the Sultan of Johor Cup series in Malaysia, Ipswich hockey umpire Aaron Gotting knows that well.

He had to undergo intensive sprinting, including the Yo-Yo test, during a recent Queensland Academy of Sport session in Brisbane.

I've worked pretty hard to get to this, doing all the fitness,'' Gotting said, having umpired in the Brisbane competition for the past five years.

"I had to go through all the fitness testing to make sure that I'm up to the standards.

"They've only just put up all the fitness tests from being at a certain level and jumped up a few more levels so you have to be a lot fitter these days to go through.''

The cabinet maker has been doing extra 5km runs from his Raceview home up to Brothers Leagues Club and back to sharpen up his stamina and sprinting prowess.

When he officiates for the first time in Malaysia later this week, he knows the tap and run free hits will be taken much quicker than at local or state level.

"It's so much faster in the game these days,'' he said.

Gotting is also preparing to use video technology if he's called upon by Johor Cup teams seeking a referral, or if he wants to use that to check a key passage of play in his higher level umpiring role.